1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a waterproof front assembly. Specifically, the present invention relates to a waterproof front assembly for the front shell of a waterproof garment.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIGS. 1 and 2 show a conventional waterproof jacket. The jacket has two opposite front panels and is made by stitching a plurality of the impregnated man-made waterproof shell fabrics together. The front flap assembly for the jacket is constructed by stitching two opposing and overlaying front flaps to each of the front panels, respectively, with thermal tapes underneath the stitches to create a waterproof and dry front. Two zipper tapes of the zipper are located below the two front flaps and stitched thereto. Based on the above structure, when the two zipper tapes are engaged to form a zipper, the top flap blocks rainwater and the lower flap serves as a gutter for draining away most of the rainwater.
However, as shown by the broken lines in FIG. 2, with the two front flaps located above the zipper, the front flaps will not only consume more fabric to result in a heavier gear, but the front flaps will also stress the front of the garment. The front of the gear is bulky because of the non-proportionate front flaps and feels uncomfortable to the wearer. The burden of the extra flaps also results in a situation during unzipping or undressing the gear where the user needs to first open the front flaps by separating the closure Velcro(trademark) or snaps between the front flaps. The efforts required for separating the closure increases during bad weather and is exhausting to the user. Such a traditional workmanship, thus, has created lots of inconveniences.
FIGS. 3 and 4 show the other conventional waterproof jacket that is widely used in another type of outdoor waterproof jacket. In this instance, an inner flap is stitched to one of the front panels and below a zipper, forming a gutter between the zipper and the inner flap. To prevent the water from passing through the zipper, a waterproof zipper having two zipper tapes, such as YKK water resistant zippers, are stitched to each of the opposite front panels. The inner flap extends beyond where the two zipper tapes engage one another to further enhance the blocking effect.
Though such a design results in a clean and neat appearance, the cost of water-resistant zippers is about eight to ten times of that of regular zippers. Furthermore, the closing and opening operations in managing zipper sliders for such water-resistant zippers are relatively difficult and may require double or triple efforts. It is not uncommon for the sliders to be stuck to the teeth. If the sliders, on the other hand, are loosely designed to allow easy operations, the zipper junction will also become loose such that wind or infiltration will bring rainwater into the gap of the zipper and keeping the rainwater out will depend on the inner flap.
Another problem to using the water-resistant zippers is the limited color selection of the zippers as the zipper is specially treated, such that the manufacture commonly encounters the problem of matching the zipper color with the shell.
An objective of the present invention is to provide a waterproof front assembly for a garment using a regular zipper but featured with a waterproof effect.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a waterproof front assembly for a garment, which makes the front of the garment look neat and elegant.
Still another objective of the present invention is to provide a waterproof front assembly for a garment, which can reduce fabric consumption.
To achieve these objectives, the waterproof front assembly of a waterproof garment has a first front panel and a second front panel in a side-by-side relationship, comprising: a zipper, a first inner storm flap, attached to the first front panel, located below the zipper and extends beyond where the zipper tapes engages one another, a second inner storm flap, which is attached to the second front panel and is located below the zipper and extends below the first inner storm flap beyond where the first inner storm flap and the zipper attach to the first front panel. The inner storm flaps each include an upper layer fabric, a lower layer fabric, and a compound sandwiched between the upper and lower layer fabrics for adhering the upper layer fabric to the lower layer fabric.